


You Care

by Mrs_Monaghan



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Domestic, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Neighbors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-12 22:51:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14737310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_Monaghan/pseuds/Mrs_Monaghan
Summary: Five times neighbors Ian and Mickey didn't realise how domestic they were and the one time they did.





	You Care

**Author's Note:**

  * For [read2me](https://archiveofourown.org/users/read2me/gifts).



> For read2me because i love, love, love, love all her continued support!
> 
> as promised! thanks girl!!!
> 
> enjoy peeps!

One

 

Without even thinking about it, Ian cooks excess dinner, then carries all of it across the hall to share it with Mickey who doesn’t know how to cook. At first, it was an accident when he ended up cooking too much and then decided to knock on Mickey's door. But these days it’s just something he does. Mickey is the only person who Ian likes in their building because apart from being age mates and their shared love for weed, they're both from the Southside so they get each other.

Now it has become a thing that Ian does; cooking Mickey dinner. When Ian gets home late from work and delays, Mickey will unlock his door and will keep Ian company as he cooks right before they eat together by Ian's kitchen table.

They will then proceed to watch a movie and share a couple of beers before Mickey goes back to his apartment to sleep.  

This time it’s Ian who ends up watching TV at Mickey's after they’ve had dinner.

“You make a mean meal man.” Mickey praises like he does occasionally.

“Thanks.” Ian drops next to Mickey after grabbing a beer.

“What are we having tomorrow?”

Ian laughs. “Can you at least let tonight’s meal settle in your belly before worrying about tomorrow?”

Mickey laughs too, that full belly one that Ian appreciates because it’s rare. “I can't help that your cooking is on fucking point, alright?”

Ian can only shake his head before mouthing another word of thanks. They then proceed to silently watch the… “What the hell are you watching?”

Mickey shrugs. “I don’t know. Pretty gross, right?”

“Ugh.” Ian gets up and leaves the room, heading towards the door. “Why? Why would you Mickey?” he shivers, disgusted. “And we just finished eating!”

Mickey laughs. “This is not for the weak.”

Ian shuts the door behind him, trying to shake the image he just saw or a frog giving birth out of his head. “Jesus.”

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Two 

 

Ian is folding his clean clothes (some are Mickey's) and putting them in the closet when he hears someone unlock the door. He smiles because that could either be a family member or Mickey. His bet is on Mickey. They have each other’s spare keys and can therefore go into each other’s houses whenever they want. They are close friends and Ian has never appreciated a friendship more.

He laughs when the brunet drops on top of his bed and clothes with a loud groan. “Get off my shit.” Ian pulls his shirt from under Mickey who unhelpfully doesn’t try to lift his weight. “What's wrong?” he asks as he puts a hanger in his shirt.

“My job sucks.”

“Then quit.”

Mickey glares up at him which makes Ian laugh. “Yeah? Then where would I get my rent, huh?”

Ian bends and grabs both of Mickey's cheeks. Blue eyes with laughter in them blink up at him. “Mick, if you ever find yourself out of a home, feel free to move in here.” He then grabs his next clothing and starts folding it.

“It’s freaky that I know you mean that.”

Ian just laughs again. “Will a beer make you feel better?”

“God, yes.”

.

Mickey had a bad day at work and he opens up to Ian about it, like they're want to do. Ian sympathises even though he's never had the experience of a shitty boss before.

Mickey who’s lying on the couch adjusts so his head is on Ian's lap. “I just wanna clock him sometimes you know? But I need the fucking job.”

“Oh I get it. Just don’ do it.”

Mickey looks up at him. “If I ever get another job I’ll do it though.”

“I won’t stop you. Heck, I’ll even drive the getaway car.”

“I knew I could count on you.”

Ian laughs and pushes Mickey off of him. “Sit up. Let’s watch this then we can go to bed.”

.

They do sleep side by his side that night, Mickey needing his friend’s comfort and Ian happily giving it.

It’s nothing new, they do sleep at each other’s occasionally, which is why they have clothes in each other’s apartments.

If when Mickey wakes up Ian has an arm around him, he doesn’t say anything. They are two gay men after all who just spent a night in the same bed. It’s only natural that they gravitated towards each other at some point in the night. He simply just slides off the bed, goes to shower in Ian's bathroom before going into the redhead’s closet to look for today’s outfit.

He wants to ask himself when his clothes started occupying Ian's closet but he's running late. So he doesn’t.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Three

 

A week later on Friday morning Mickey has just gotten out of the shower when he stops to stare at his closet. All he has here are trousers and no T-shirt. Not even one that’s worn out. The T-shirts that are here do not belong to him and would definitely be too long for him if he were to wear one.

“What the fuck?”

He pushes his hand inside and pushes the jeans around, but still no T-shirt. At least not one that belongs to him. How does he only have Ian's t-shirts in here?

“God dammit.”

With nothing but a towel on, he treks across the hall in into Ian's place. When the door opens Ian is on the other side looking like he was also about to open the door. “What's up Mickey? I'm about to go to work.”

Mickey walks past him. “I have no T-shirts in my closet.”

“Oh, okay.” Ian replies in understanding. “See you later!”

He calls over his shoulder leaving Mickey to find his shirts himself. “Ass.”

Mickey mutters to himself before heading to Ian's bedroom. Sure enough, all his T-shirts are clean and folded, placed on top of each other in one side of the closet.

They trust each other too much. Mickey thinks.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Four

On a lazy Saturday afternoon, Ian is going for his usual run when he finds Mickey in the park. “Mick! What's up?”

Mickey squints his eyes up at him. “Gallagher. You going for a run?”

“Just finished.”

Ian drops on the park bench next to Mickey. “I just came to meet my sister and her daughter Ella here. You just missed them.”

“Oh.” Ian looks behind him. “Wanna get ice cream?”

Mickey gets up and the redhead follows. “Sure.”

.

They walk all the way back to their apartment building. They're walking past an ally when they hear what sounds like a tiny kitten crying out. Mickey is still walking when Ian diverts and walks into the ally.

“The fuck are you doing?”

“He's alone and lonely Mick.” Ian pleads with a pout. “He's probably hungry and injured and…”

“For fuck’s sake. Go!”

Ian yelps in excitement before dashing towards the crying kitten. It turns out it _is_ stuck. “See! I told you Mick!” he calls as he grabs the little animal, cradling it to his chest. He walks towards Mickey who’s about to light his cigarette. Ian knocks it out of his mouth. “No smoking in front of the kitty Mick.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Ian just smiles down at the animal that looks like it’s found its home in Ian's probably very warm chest. “What will we name him?”

“ _We_ aren’t doing anything.”

Ian frowns at him. “But we found him together, we should both name him.”

Mickey chuckles and thumbs his nose. “ _You_ found him, _you_ name him.”

Ian pouts, going as far as to jut his bottom lip out. He then pushes the brown and white kitten towards Mickey. It blinks up at him with big blue eyes. “Look at him, he's got blue eyes, like you.”

“You have got, to be shitting me.”

Ian pushes the furry animal further towards Mickey and the latter steps away. “What did little kittens ever do to you?”

“I am not a cat person.”

“You won’t know until you try.”

.

That’s how Ian and Mickey end up co-owning a kitten.

Mickey refuses to contribute in the naming of the cat so Ian settles for Milo. He still won’t do anything for Milo until the day Ian get called to the Southside by his big sister and ends up spending the night. He asks Mickey to look after their cat, threatening that if Milo dies in his absence he will bury Mickey next to him.

When Mickey wakes up the next day with a cat purring on his chest, he doesn’t have the heart to push him off.

That’s how Mickey and Milo end up bonding.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Five

 

Ian shows up with Milo in one hand and dinner on the other. He passes the cat wordlessly to Mickey, before heading to the kitchen to serve the food. “You realise this thing can walk on its own, right?”

“It’s been a month Mick, stop calling him an _it_.”

Mickey rolls his eyes, placing the cat on the floor. Milo runs and climbs on top of Mickey's couch, lying like he belongs there. “Jesus Christ.”

He sits next to the little animal and continues to drink his beer. “Ian, what's taking so fucking long!”

Ian looks behind him then back at the fridge. It’s not just his favourite beer in here, but there are paw paws too. Ian knows just how much Mickey hates pawpaws. And yet, here they are. He grabs a beer and straightens up.

This isn’t strange at all, considering the fact that the same is happening in Ian's fridge. He has all of Mickey's favourite things in there.

He grins. He loves their friendship.

 

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

 

+1

 

 

Ian is working when his phone rings. He reaches for it lazily, frowning when he sees it’s an unknown number. He doesn’t say anything. _“Hello?”_

“Hi?”

_“I'm I talking to Ian Gallagher?”_

“Yeah…”

 _“My name is Mandy Milkovich, I'm calling from the Mercy hospital and I’m a nurse here.”_ Ian sits up. _“Mickey came in injured and…”_

“Is he okay?!” Ian is already grabbing his things, his heart beating a mile a minute in panic.

_“He will be but…”_

“I am on my way!”

He drops his keys at least four times before finally taking a deep breath and stops shaking so much. It takes everything not to run every single red light on his rush to the hospital. How did Mickey get injured? What happened? Is he okay? The nurse sounded like it was something serious. _What, happened?_

By the time he's getting to the reception desk and asking for Mandy and Mickey Milkovich he's out of breath. Ian pauses. Mandy _Milkovich?_

Before he can wonder just how common that name is, he needs to make sure Mickey is fine first. So he practically runs towards the room number he gets.

.

“You are wasting a hospital bed you know.” Mickey tells his sister.

“My brother twisted his ankle. He gets the VIP treatment.”

Mickey rolls his eyes and gestures for the pudding in her hand. “I’ve hurt worse and you know it.”

No one comments on that. Mandy just continues to fuss over him. He almost chokes on his next bite when the door bursts open loudly. “What tha… Ian?”

Mickey tries not to laugh at how Ian is perspiring like he just came from one of his runs, his face red as can be. “Are you okay?” the redhead asks breathlessly, patting Mickey's face and chest and hands and legs. “What happened? Where are you hurt?”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Mickey grabs Ian's hands. “Breathe.” Ian does. “What are you doing here?”

“He's your emergency contact.” Mandy speaks up. “I needed to see who he is.”

Ian seems to notice Mandy for the first time. “I am?” he asks her. Mickey lets go of Ian to look away with a deep blush. “Are you okay?” he asks softly.

“Yeah, she probably just exaggerated. Ian, meet my bitch sister Mandy.”

Ian glares at her. “You scared me.”

Mandy doesn’t seem to care about that part. “Why are you my brother’s emergency contact. Who are you?”

“His neighbour.”

Mandy shakes her head. “Nah, that doesn’t make sense.” She voices.

“Mandy shut up.” Mickey snaps.

Ian relaxes when he sees Mickey's okay, dropping on the seat next to his bed. “Neighbours, don’t make other neighbours their emergency contact.”

“We own a cat together?” Ian offers.

“Jesus Ian, stop encouraging her.”

“What?!” Mandy exclaims. “Are you two fucking?!”

“What?”  
“No!”  
“We’re just friends.”  
“Platonic friends.”

Mandy crosses her hands, clearly unconvinced. She points at Mickey. “You, demoted me and made Ian your emergency contact and you,” she points at Ian. “I tell you Mickey got injured and you run in here in full panic mode.”

Both men glance at each other before looking away, the truth of what Mandy is saying downing on them.

“You co-own a cat and right now you’re holding hands looking like a fucking couple.”

Ian and Mickey who hadn’t realised they were holding hands quickly let go of each other.

“Umm…” Ian starts, looking at Mickey.

Mickey raises his eyebrows then looks at Mandy before looking back at Ian. “She’s right.” He admits quietly.

Ian thinks about how much they do act like a couple but both prefer not to dwell on it, choosing to live like friends instead. He looks at Mickey and licks his lips. “I came running because...”

“You care.” Mickey finishes because he feels the same way.

Ian takes his hand again and Mickey lets him. “I care.”

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> asanteni kwa kusoma.


End file.
